A fighter pilot wears his yellow “Mae West” life jacket, on display at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force. (Courtesy http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/).

During World War II, life vests were nicknamed “Mae Wests” after the popular 1930s and 40s actress Mae West. Could you guess why?

Linguist and author Henry Alexander explains that members of the Royal Air Force and Army Air Forces who were issued flight gear began calling their life vests — manufactured by Peter Markus in 1928 — “Mae Wests” because the inflated vests “added buoyancy to the wearer’s chest.”